Proposal to waive visa fees for foreign tourists to Thailand

[CharlieH]

Reported post removed.

[MrJ2U]

If you want to keep some visitors longer let them to border runs.

 

Out and back in to spend more money in Thailand.

 

Simple, not two a year limits.  I used to enjoy short visits walking across borders and spending a few nights in Laos, Cambodia, or Myanmar (before the Civil war).  

 

 

[Burma Bill]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

waiving the visa fees would offer a further boost in tourism revenue

Great, but only if the mandatory wearing of face-masks is NOT reintroduced. If it is, then bye bye any potential tourists!!!

[bangon04]

4 hours ago, Bim Smith said:

Absolutely spot on. Also Malaysia gives 90 exempt. Thailand still in the dark ages with 30.

Hong Kong (at least before the CCP takeover) was giving 180 days without even a stamp taking up space in the passport........

[Farangus]

I usually visit Thailand every year and the cost of my trip is $4000+ The cost of my visa is $40 which is only 1% of my expenses.  But the paperwork for a Thai visa is really terrible.  Bank statements, all bookings, round-trip air tickets, visa applications, insurances, etc.  I would have paid those $40 at the airport without any problem, but save me the hassle of collecting a bunch of paperwork for the consulate!

[Stargeezr]

I hope that a visa is only need for longer than 90 days, or 60 days at the shortest.

To answer one poster, retired people go on extended holidays. I have usually gone to Thailand for

2 months, since the flights are expensive enough that an escape from Canadian Winter for 2 months 

is a good break. I guess we will all have to wait to see what the long time plans are going to be

for TAT and the Thai government.

[Andrew65]

One problem being I think, in the UK anyway, is that people have been turning on the TV to see scenes of people queueing out of the doors of airports for several hours, mass-flight cancellations, and thought they would leave flying abroad on holiday until next year.

Another thing being that airfares have risen considerably. I just looked at the Eva Air flight from LHR to BKK rtn, you're now looking at £850, pre-pandemic it was £550.

[bkksteve123]

6 hours ago, ukrules said:

The fees aren't the problem, it's the paperwork and financial audit that's the problem.

 

Agreed. I doubt many people are discouraged to travel here because of the fee itself. It's the hassle of applying for a visa, preparing the paper work and spending an afternoon applying for a visa at an embassy, and another trip to pick it up. Sure, if you live right next to the embassy no problem, but most people don't.

 

For example, my parents are retired, and would like to spend 45-60 days here in early 2023, but they will not bother getting a TR or going for an extension at immigration, so they plan to keep it under 30 days.

 

To boost arrivals and spending they should make the visa exempt stamp 90 days.

[vandeventer]

58 minutes ago, Nicholas Paul KNIGHT said:

No minimum 30 days free maybe 60 days, after that fees to be paid, who the hell goes on holidaY FOR 90 DAYS 

Tourist that really want to see a country, and spend all their money.

[bristolgeoff]

That would be nice a 3 mths visa on entry.From what i know a multi 6 mths type visa you need to show paperwork and a certain amount in the bank that has being in they a long time.I will be looking into a visa and the rules soon for the next high season,hope it will be easy since all the previous paperwork is dead now

[Andrew65]

1 minute ago, bkksteve123 said:

Agreed. I doubt many people are discouraged to travel here because of the fee itself. It's the hassle of applying for a visa, preparing the paper work and spending an afternoon applying for a visa at an embassy, and another trip to pick it up. Sure, if you live right next to the embassy no problem, but most people don't.

 

For example, my parents are retired, and would like to spend 45-60 days here in early 2023, but they will not bother getting a TR or going for an extension at immigration, so they plan to keep it under 30 days.

 

To boost arrivals and spending they should make the visa exempt stamp 90 days.

They would have worked out how much revenue they raise from issuing visas or extensions (1800 Baht for an extension), a way of 'self-financing' embassies and the immigration dept, also a job creation scheme at the immigration dept. Have you ever noticed how many people work at the Laksi immigration office, if they gave people 90 days on arrival many of those people would have nothing to do.

[aussiexpat]

1 minute ago, Andrew65 said:

They would have worked out how much revenue they raise from issuing visas or extensions (1800 Baht for an extension), a way of 'self-financing' embassies and the immigration dept, also a job creation scheme at the immigration dept.

Are you qualified to respond, you don't seem to know how much an extension costs lol

[thonglorjimmy]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

I stopped visiting the USA when they started wanting Brits to fill out an online form in advance. 

So Schengen countries will soon be off your list then?

[malthebluff]

Waive the Visa fee but bring in 300 baht entrance fee for medicle even if people have insurance, bring in duel pricing for hotels to go along with the duel pricing for everything else. and go a little easy on the police  corruption. Yes that will bring the tourist flocking here they are already queuing up

[Mavideol]

this being nothing more then the normal/average Monday sheer desperation venting from TAT

[aussiexpat]

The whole article talks about waiving the visa on arrival fee for Indians as they are the most visiting country

 

Why would you waive something when they are already coming with the fee?

[bullseye66]

60 or 90 day visa on arrival. Job done. 

[ikke1959]

4 hours ago, jacko45k said:

You are mixing up Visas, obtained outside of Thailand, and Extensions, made domestically at Immigration offices.  They want to make it easier for tourists...... and the topic is Visas.

 

I don't see what the issue is to waive the Tourist Visa charge, which gives people the opportunity to visit for 60days....

normal tourists, don't need a visa as they won't stay longer than 3/4 weeks..... Western people have to work too and have limited holidays.. so if you need a visa you are not a normal tourist...

[nahkit]

Brought to you by the same people who 6 months ago wanted to introduce a 500 baht arrival tax.

[aussiexpat]

6 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

normal tourists, don't need a visa as they won't stay longer than 3/4 weeks..... Western people have to work too and have limited holidays.. so if you need a visa you are not a normal tourist...

Just stayed 4 months, currently looking for a backpack so I can do it smarter next time

[Lacrimas]

What the hell, seriously... the price of the visa is not the issue, flights are crazy expensive right now and no one worries about 80 dollars for a visa, not even begpackers!

 

This is a retirement and remote working destination, just make things easier for those coming to do that. Make extensions easy to do without 100 copies every time, No 90 day reports, no TM30, make digital work permits easy to obtain and people will come. Hell, they will even pay taxes if you give them the chance but no... they want to target the high spending... lol 

[Andrew65]

46 minutes ago, aussiexpat said:

Are you qualified to respond, you don't seem to know how much an extension costs lol

The last time I did one it was 1800 Baht. Qualified? I lived in Bangkok for 20 years.

[aussiexpat]

1 minute ago, Andrew65 said:

The last time I did one it was 1800 Baht. Qualified? I lived in Bangkok for 20 years.

It's been 1900 baht for since ever I can remember lol

[Moon6966]

30 day's visa is free do they mean 3 month visa free? 

[aussiexpat]

3 minutes ago, Moon6966 said:

30 day's visa is free do they mean 3 month visa free? 

No, all these countries get 30 days entry visa exempt

 

[cnx101]

And double hotel prices and everything else too make up for it 

[Orinoco]

33 minutes ago, ikke1959 said:

Western people have to work too and have limited holidays.

What, Western people do work.

Nah.

The Thais know full well,  we get all are vast wealth.

for free and can holiday as long as we like.

We don't do hard work. 

 

 

 

 

[Dont confuse me]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

TAT governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the proposal, which would see visa fees waived until the end of the year. 

Someone please tell him its now July!

If it gets approved it will be ?

Maybe they are just aiming at the Xmas trade?

[Bangkocker]

1 hour ago, KCM3 said:

I respectively disagree.  Charging reasonable fees for visas helps offset the cost of the Immigration Service.  If not for those fees (on non-local arrivals) then our domestic taxes would be higher in one form or another.  Certainly the cost of a Thai Visa is competitive with other countries.  And many tourists don't need an 'official' visa in the first place.

Good Oh ... Visa fee, arrivals tax, departure tax ..... fee for this and that... Not going to belabor the point BUT it's not the responsibility of tourists, that are going to enrich the country they have chosen to visit, to pay the immigration service of that country. It's just a bit of paper/stamp after all. There are many countries that are sensible and offer free visa on arrival.

[orchidfan]

1 hour ago, bangon04 said:

Hong Kong (at least before the CCP takeover) was giving 180 days without even a stamp taking up space in the passport........

I don't think its changed. 

The odd thing is the 180 days are for certain countries only.

My then Thai gf (now wife) used to get 30days, and Philippinas got 14 days. 

I once asked the Immigration officer why I got 180 days (Oz pp) and she only 30.

Answer was that they considered 30days enough time to "see" and experience HK.

So my reply to her was "so we westerners are slower lookers needing 180 days?"

No reply.

She also told me that they didn't have a gf Visa and if I wanted her to stay (gf having come numerous times during the year on 30day stamps ) then I needed to marry her.

So I did !